Bates Patrol Boots

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I was the lucky winner of an eBay auction a couple weeks ago, and scored, rather inexpensively, a new-to-me pair of Bates Patrol Boots.

I have not seen any cops wearing this particular brand of boots in a long time, so I figure that this style of (tall patrol) boots haven’t been made for several years. I visited the Bates website, and found that this style of tall patrol boots is not made any more. They only make short tactical and military boots these days. Further internet searching indicates that Bates was bought by the same company that makes boots under the Wolverine brand in China… so there goes another quality bootmaker down the drain.

But I digress…. These Bates patrol boots are similar in construction to Chippewa Motor Patrol Boots. That is both a good and bad thing. The boots are made of all leather, which is good. However, the leather is rather thin. I estimate the leather is of 4 to 5oz weight. Perhaps that makes a lighter-weight boot, but it also poses some problems with durability and creasing with wear. (Notice in the photos how the boots are crinkled — and they should not be that way when worn with motor breeches.)

The boots have a bal-laced instep. They also have lacing on the outside of each boot shaft to adjust the fit. A different feature of these boots is a leather-covered expansion band found at the top of the inside of each boot shaft.

What I dislike most about these boots is that they have a seam both down the middle of the front as well as the back of the boot shaft. To me, that seam is both unnecessary and unsightly. The boots also have a cheap nitrile rubber sole, so the traction offered is not all that good. Fine for a dry day, but probably not when the roads are slick with rain.

Oh well, I got these boots inexpensively. They are okay, but I can understand why Bates does not make these boots any more. They were cheap to make, and look it.

More photos of these boots are here.

Life is short: know your boots!

Catch-Up

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I had a very busy day yesterday catching up after returning from a week-long business trip. I did a lot of work around my house, took care of six senior pals by doing various home repairs for them, took four senior pals to the grocery store, and returned home to do more home maintenance.

With all that going on, I had no time to write a blog post. Check back tomorrow for another story on …

Life is short: doin’ whatcha gotta do!

Men’s Footwear at Airports

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I flew home yesterday from Seattle and had to change planes in Chicago. I looked at what guys had on their feet.

I know going through security is a pain-in-the-butt; however, it is so routine now — all you have to do is slip off your boots (or if you must wear them, shoes) and run them through the x-ray. But so many men (and youngsters in their teens and 20s) do not want to do that, so they wear the most awful crap on their feet. I saw more guys wearing flip-flops at the airport than I have seen wear those things on a beach. Ugggghhh! And it was cold, too. Wearing crappy footwear like that must be uncomfortable.

Oh well, I wore my cowboy boots, took them off before security, and got two “nice boots” comments from other guys when I was putting them back on after security. I doubt anyone looks at a guy wearing flip-flops and says, “nice feet.” (LOL!)

Life is short: wear boots!

Headed Home

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I had a long but productive week in the Seattle area. I had a chance to speak, to lead, to facilitate, to write, and to learn. I enjoyed seeing some of my long-term colleagues and friends who have made me more of the person and professional I am.

After a rather dull day yesterday, I became energized again by meeting a friend and her partner for dinner. This friend did a lot for me. She picked me up from my conference location in Outer Slobbovia, took me to dinner at a really nice restaurant, then brought me to a hotel where she made a reservation for me. The hotel is very close to the airport, so my departure for my early flight will be simple and uncomplicated with traffic delays.

My friend and I caught up on each other’s lives, then began to “talk shop.” She picked my brain and I picked hers. At the end of a lively conversation about geeky stuff, my friend surprised me by saying that her boss authorized her to pay for our dinner. How nice! (Her boss is someone I also have known for a long, long time.)

I am glad to end the week on such a high note, but man, I am tired and I really miss my man. Time to head home, snuggle close, and get reacquainted with the man who means the world to me.

Life is short: enjoy life where you are and make the best of it.

Restricted to Two Pairs of Boots

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During my business trip this week to the Seattle area, I “only” brought two pairs of boots. I packed one pair in my luggage and wore one pair.

What boots did I bring? Lucchese cowboy boots — dress black and brown wingtips. Both are comfortable and fairly lightweight on my feet.

However, for a Bootman like me, this “restriction” to “only” two pairs of boots for a whole week is driving me crazy. For example, I wanted to go for a long walk in the morning, but these boots aren’t really suitable for hiking. The weather was nice most of the week, but began to rain later in the week, and not having Vibram soles for better traction bothered me. I do not want to risk a slip and fall caused by wearing boots with smooth leather soles.

During a short few-hour break on Thursday afternoon when I went into downtown Seattle with some colleagues to stroll around and have dinner, I wore a pair of lightweight leather jeans, and would have preferred to wear a pair of black motorcycle boots with the jeans, but … I only had black cowboy boots so they are what I wore.

Yeah, I own many pairs of boots. My usual custom is to wear 3 – 5 pairs of boots each day, changing my boots depending on what I am doing and where I am going, and how much walking I will do, or what transportation I will use. Having “only” two pairs of boots with me while traveling does not offer me the choices of boots to wear for various activities outside of my meetings.

Oh well, I’ll survive.

Such is life of a Bootman.

Life is short: wear boots!

Engaging Activities

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Reporting from (near) Seattle…

I am having meetings all this week at a federal agency facility north of Seattle. Kinda funny — each time I enter the facility, my cowboy boots set off the metal detector at the door. I just turn to the guard and say, “it’s the boots” and he laughs and lets me go through.

The meeting that I am engaged in facilitating is going very well. So well in fact that we’re getting done earlier than anticipated. I expect that we will be “done” for the day today (Thursday) by noon-ish.

I will be picked up by a friend who is a local big-wig in my profession. We will have lunch and then she and another friend and I will go into the City of Seattle and be touristy. Unfortunately, the weather is degrading, so I expect some rain during the only time I can go play tourist. But that’s okay — it’s the company that is most important.

I transfer locations to support another all-day meeting on Friday at a laboratory where research is done about hazards that can happen on U.S. coastlines. After the thrill of the conference is over, another friend (a former student of mine 25 years ago) who is a big-wig now in her own right will pick me up and take me to dinner with her partner. I will enjoy catching up with this friend who I have admired and supported for so many years.

I will stay at a hotel close to the airport so it will be quicker and easier for me to catch my very early return flight home on Saturday morning. I can’t wait to return home to my man and get my life back into its usual routine.

One benefit or shall I say, consequence, of facilitating a meeting well is that I have been invited to return to speak at two more events next year back on the West Coast — in California and Oregon. Sure… happy to help. It’s what I do.

Life is short: be engaged and love what you do!

Peddlers From India Try Too

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Tell me what about the following commenting policy statement on this blog is so hard to understand:

All comments are reviewed prior to posting. If you do not have a Google ID or Blogger ID, you may use the Anonymous ID option, however, you must type your name with your comment. Comments without a way to know who wrote it may be rejected or deleted. Comments with embedded links to commercial websites WILL BE DELETED–NO EXCEPTIONS!

Unfortunately, about once each week, some boot or leather peddler from India attempts to leave a comment on this blog. (I also get them about once each month from Pakistan.) The comment is usually worded as a compliment, though often includes significant errors in grammar and spelling. One would think that the country of the world that has the largest English-speaking population might have people who can write coherently in the language.

I digress…

Despite my warning against it, inevitably the commenter from India includes a link back to some website offering cheaply-made, inferior boots or gear.

Delete…delete…delete… those kinds of comments are gone. Always. That is what “comments will be deleted … without exception” means.

Here is a recent example of the source of one of those types of comments — and how I can tell where the commenter came from:

I will not be a party to cross-promotion of junk.

Life is short: think before you act, and act responsibly.

NoBerry for an i-Nothing

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Have you seen the automated signatures on some people’s email, that says, “sent from my Blackberry handheld” or “send via my iPhone”? Oh please, gimme a break.

I once was forced to have a Blackberry in a previous job, and I know that those devices come with software that you can use to delete that canned signature line, so you do not have to tell everyone how important you are because you can send email via a wireless device.

I have modified my email signature to close with, “sent via my NoBerry for an i-nothing.” Seriously, I’m not that important.

I find that those who live where I live in Snoburbia, things like this — having a personal Blackberry or an iPhone, and using that standard signature — is de rigueur. However, most people who are above playing those status games and who are not out to impress others turn that automated signature off or delete it.

I find it amusing that adults play these games. Honestly, life is good out here in the quiet, disconnected Universe. Try it sometime… you’ll like it!

Life is short: have a NoBerry for an i-Nothing, and enjoy saving lots of money instead of paying the monthly ransom that makes rich companies richer.

Life of a VUP

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I do not travel nearly as much as I once did. Back in the day with my former employer, I would travel, on average, about 150 days each year and go to about 70 cities both large and small across America. I might also have traveled once or twice a year internationally.

I would try to choose the same airline, so I could build miles and status to receive perks like early boarding and an occasional free upgrade to first class.

My travel is not nearly the same any more. I travel domestically about 5 – 8 times each year, which is a bit more than my travel was between 2005 and 2009. I have to use different airlines. Thus, I have no status on any airline and am like anyone else. When I do fly, I wait for the cattlecar placement on the plane.

Take, for example, the recent boarding experience that I had for my flight to Seattle yesterday:

Passengers who were boarded before me include active duty military and first class; 1K mileage, platinum, gold, silver, bronze, iron, steel, aluminum, tin foil; the airline’s credit card holders, ransom-payment “express” payers, and holders of today’s whatever-special card-of-the-day is; families with babies, disabled people, people with wide-set eyes, purple left thumbs and green feet, then everyone else.

“We are boarding by zones. Only board when your zone number is called.”

Everyone queues up anyway. (But the agent enforces the “boarding by zone” rule.)

The gate agent calls, “Attention, we are now boarding Zone 2” (which by the time all other priorities are called out, it really is about Zone 90 in sequence).

Finally… That’s me. I am a “very unimportant person (VUP)”. This is now when VUPs board the plane.

“Sir, we have run out of middle seats in the back of the plane. Would you prefer to be strapped to the right or left wing?”

Ummm… I guess the left. I do not have it in me to be a right winger.

“Okay, sir, step out here. Good! Straps nice and tight? That’s great! (Who says you’re not into bondage!) It may be a little windy, but the view is excellent!”

This is a joke. This is only a joke. For the above post, this blog tested your bad joke deciphering system. This is only a joke. Actually, I got to sit on the tail…